Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-01-21
TOO NEIGHBORLY.
How Il Woman Got Rid of an InceS-
SAINT Borrower.


As her husband owned the house We
were to live in, as well as that occu-
pied by his own family, and was be
sides the proprietor of the two finest
farms in the vicinity, felt quite flat
tered by the attention.
al always like to he neighborly,"
Mrs. Cotton said.
When the doctor came home, for
had married a physician, told him
what pleasant acquaintance l had
made. Evidently a woman of in
fluence," l said. at was so kind in
her to call at once, and especially to
promise to be so neighborly." Ny
husband of course assented.
A few days after, as | was getting
supper, a red-headed, unkempt urchin
thrust his head in at the kitchen win
dow, and said in high, nasal tone:
Ma says, can't you lend her mess
of flour for supper and breakfast /;
company's come, and she hain't got
none, and pas gone out and won't be
back till night.
And who may your ma be?" /
said, wondering at this cool proposal,
for in the place in which l had lived
until my marriage we had not been
accustomed to such free-and-easy len1-
ing and borrowing.
"Mrs. Cotton, ma'am."
"Ohw 1 replied, and that only.
"And ma says" resumed the shrill
voice, elf you could spare it, some
butter and 'lasses."
took my hands from the dough
and proceeded to comply with her re-
quest, for l wished to he considered
"neighborly"; but l thought to myself
that Mrs. Cotton might have sent to
the store for what she wanted, as it
was hardly three minutes distant; it
certainly was what l should have done
instead of applying to person almost
a stranger.
Hardly a day passed after this that
the shock-headed boy did not thrust
his head into my kitchen door and ask
for the loan of something; and as my
husband had to make practice, and
so ought to be popular, continued to
be neighborly" and lend whatever
was requested. Now it was eggs, or
meal, or bit of fresh meat, or butter;
now it was a book, magazine, a flat
iron, a pattern for dress, few cups,
or something else.
OF course, expected the things to
be duly returned, or at least what rep
resented them. But day after day
passed, without meal, or butter, or eggs
being forthcoming; and though the
books and magazine came back, the
latter was soiled and torn; and as for
the flat-iron, it was absolutely rusty
from neglect
But at last Mrs. Colton's "being
neighborly" began to cost SO much
that We could no longer afford it. If a
beef was killed or deer shot she knew
of it as soon as ourselves almost; and
10! at the kitchen door appeared the
shock of red hair and / heard the ma
sal twang, Ma wants to know if you
can't lend her." etc, etc. Finally l
got distracted. "I can't and won't
stand this any longer, practice or no
practice" l said one day to my hus-
band. "If that woman sends here
again, or even comes, I'll have it out
! with her. If she was poor l wouldn't
mind it. She'd be welcome to borrow.
But as she's far better off than we are,
her borrowing is simply meaness."
A few mornings after this the crisis
came. Our meat for the fall and win
ter had just been brought in to be
cured, having been fed and killed at
farmers few miles off, and the smoke
house was being got ready by the far
mer's men, when Mrs. Cotton made
her appearance.
Mornin', Mrs. Mac" she began.
II seed the boys pass the house and
thought I'd come in. Amt you gittin'
| in your meat ruther early? Seems to
me it's"
81 think not"
But We amt ourselves putin in
our meat yet. and so l guess I'll bor-
row some from you. My ole man II
kill fore long, and then l can give it
back"
al am sorry to seem disobliging,
Mrs. Cotton" said, "but we really
cannot spare any of the meat; there
is. just enough, hardly that, to last u.s."
LA! now, I'd never have thought
you'd refuse me anything; and me al
ways trying to be SO neighborly," cried
my visitor.
"To he frank" answered, for now
my blood was up, object to borrow
ing. never do it myself. What l
can't pay for or earn do without"
For one moment Mrs. Cotton looked
at me as if had been the Great En-
emy" himself, hoof, horns and all !;
then she gave an audible sniff and
turned to her red-headed scion, who
had accompanied her.
Come, son." she cried, let's go.
Folks as talks SO big about yearnin